St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-29
DISCUSSION ON ART.

Col. Fairman Talks of Schools
and Methods in an Interesting
Strain.
Col. Fairman, the well-knOwn painter
and speaker, was found yesterday in his
temporary studio, in the Stillman block,
busily engaged in painting local pic
ture of considerable interest, but which
he desires to keep secret for the present
for private reasons. Col. Fairman leads
a very active life, and between his
studio work and the addresses and
lectures he delivers, his whole time
is profitably filled. He has lately
given lectures to the students at Ham
line university on the fine arts and the
Pulpit. Platform and Stage" and in
tends to give some more under the
auspices OF the West Side Improvement
association on the present Conditions
OF National Prosperity" Speaking on
current topics, the colonel said:
The recent exposition possessed the very
best exhibition of current art ever shown in
the United States. Art in America has to
grow up under peculiar circumstances. In
all other lands the mobiles and wealthy
classes have been patrons. Whatever art we
possess must be the legitimate offspring of
the people. This has its disadvantages.
The subjects for great pictures of
the Renaissance were dictated by the
patrons and so genius was cramped,
H. many cases being compelled to produce
pictures in which the painters had no feel
ing. interest or even belief. We have not yet
commenced a really true American school of
art an art which must be eclectic because it
is q continued growth of the aggregation of
the European schools. 1t is surprising that
our late war has failed to produce pictures
growing ont of that terrible CONFUSION, such
as have followed all the great European con-
fiicts of modern times, in pursuance of
lDIv of artistic evolution
by Montaine, the French philosophic writer
on art. American art is pedanIic if not
plagiaristic in the main, national result of
our system of education. consisting of setting
our youth making copies of copies, as a
means of instruction, and our so-called art
schools in the country pursuing the same
course. The subjects of our art efforts and
our methods of work must lack in originality
till a new departure on more philosophic
basis characteriZes our art education. 1t
must be said that the American artists that
have given us character and credit, as re-
suit of their work; have not received their
education abroad, but, like Wilkie, have
shown their power in local themes, reflect
ing the spirit of their age. Four examples
were seen IN the recent Exposition of the
perverted patronage of our people i'll pictures
by Dias. Rousseau. Du Prey and Corot, can
vases that would not command 50 apiece i'll
the most generous market aside from the
supposed merit of the supposed names of
their French authors There is no reason
why Minneapolis should not become an art
center OH account of any precedents of other
localities in this country as marked by re-
suits so far. Great art in the sense
of the themes, sizes of pictures, artistic
power of treatment, can only be evolved by
such effort and organization as that pro-
jected and pledged for the first time in this
country by the Minneapolis Exposition
Patronage depends upon the presence of
money; money upon the patronage of Amer
lean Industries. Minneapolis may be said to
be, in the language of Thompson, the poet,
1.-THE exhaustless granary of the world;''
the radius of which Minneapolis is
the center depends for its prosperity
upon the price of wheat. So long as the
price of wheat is dictated by the European
market, the Western farmer will fail to get
fair compensation for his labor When the
quantity of wheat produced by this country
finds local consumption then the equitable
81 or 81. % will be paid, and this result will
be attained by that kind of legislation that
will employ greater proportion of our pop
ulation in workshops and a relatively smaller
proportion raising wheat.
Col. Fairman takes great interest in
Minneapolis and has done good deal
of excellent work here of high and in
structive order. He intends to stay for
two OF three weeks longer, till, in fact,
the winter sets in in earnest, when he